The Rev. Dr. Edward Smith Davis came to the Southern Conference from the Illinois Conference UCC, where he served as Interim Associate Conference Minister, caring for 102 churches and 350 ordained clergy. In addition to serving as Senior Pastor of St. Mark United Church of Christ in Chicago, Dr. Davis also served as Chaplain for the Chicago Fire Department Chaplain and as a Chicago Police St. Jude Chaplain.

Dr. Davis holds two Bachelor’ degrees in Business, an MBA in Finance and Economics from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. He completed the Executive Education in Leadership program from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and earned a Doctor of Ministry in Collaborative Leadership in the 21st Century from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty Advisor for the Doctor of Ministry program.